Intravaginal tampons are in common use by women for the retention of fluids or menses discharged along the walls of the vagina during the menstrual cycle. The menstrual discharge, comprising endometrial cells, secretions and blood, is intermittent and takes place over hours and days. The blood and other matter exude following the line of gravity. Sometimes the flow is light, sometimes heavy. Intravaginal tampons are usually formed of absorbent materials such as cotton, rayon cellulose wading, synthetic sponge, cellulose fluff, synthetic fibres or combinations of these materials and compressed or moulded usually to a generally cylindrical configuration of a size to fit within the vaginal tract.
Tampons having an insertion end, a withdrawal end, a withdrawal cord and a central section extending therebetween are well known in the art. From the prior art, cylindrical shaped tampons are known having ribs defined by grooves, said ribs extending outwards. Such tampons are known for example from WO 02/078586, EP 0 422 660, US 2002/0157222, U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,725, U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,408, EP 1 108 408, US 2003/0208180, WO 00/53141 and EP 0 639 363. For instance, WO 02/078586 and WO 02/076357 disclose tampons having inclined shaped grooves. The outer surface of the tampons provided with inclined shaped, pressed longitudinal grooves describing a straight path in the longitudinal direction of said tampon. EP 1 459 720 describes a vaginal tampon having sinusoidal grooves along the outer surface, separated by longitudinal ribs.
However, a disadvantage of tampons known in the art is that its absorption of fluid is generally insufficient and relatively slow, such that by-pass and leakage problems may occur after the tampon has been put into use.
In view hereof, there is a need in the art for a tampon, which overcomes one or more of these problems of the prior art. There is a need in the art for a tampon having improved absorption capacity compared to tampons known in the prior art.
The present invention aims to provide a tampon having improved absorption capacity compared to typical inclined-grooved or straight groove tampons known in the prior art. It is further an aim of the invention to provide a tampon that is soft to the touch and therefore comfortable to insert into the body cavity.
The advantages of the present tampons will become clear to the persons skilled in the art from the description and the accompanying figures provided below.